Testimony of Gazal Bahtiyar
Presiding Judge
Presiding Judge : Ms. Gazal, please. Inform the lawyers. Notify them. Gazal is here. Salim is here. Enes is here. Where’s Enes? We’re starting, Ms. Gazal. First, Nevzat is your husband, correct?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes.
Presiding Judge : According to the Code of Criminal Procedure, you have the right not to testify. He is your husband. Therefore, I first ask you this: do you wish to testify? No, you can’t just say it casually. Would you like to be a witness? But by law, since Nevzat is your husband, we may ask questions that could reveal his guilt. Because of this, you have the right not to testify. If you say, “I don’t want to testify,” we will respect that. Would you like to testify? As a witness? Yes? Then we will proceed accordingly. We’ll need a Kurdish interpreter… Yes, Counsel. You do not have standing as an intervening party. You are a lawyer from the Diyarbakır Bar Association, but you are not participating in this case.
Female Lawyer : The request for intervention was denied. There is wisdom in everything.
Presiding Judge : That must be why we denied it. Why did you request intervention anyway? No, no, I’ve already rejected it. Someone from the police who can interpret Kurdish, please. Go ahead. Now, you—speak some Kurdish with her. Can you communicate in the same Kurdish dialect? Try that. If it works, we’ll continue. Say something—ask how she is, how she feels. Alright, she’ll testify. Yes, since Ms. Gazal can express herself better in Kurdish, a police officer present has been appointed by the court as interpreter. Your full name?
Interpreter : Hacı Ahmet Sardoğan.
Presiding Judge : Do you know Ms. Gazal? You don’t. You don’t. Do you swear upon your honor and conscience to tell the truth?
Interpreter : I swear.
Presiding Judge : Yes, Ms. Gazal, you said you would testify. But since you are the defendant’s spouse, we will hear you without oath. Now, on the day Narin disappeared, did Ms. Yüksel come to your house?
Gazal Bahtiyar : No. She didn’t come.
Presiding Judge : Not at all?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Not at all.
Presiding Judge : You didn’t see Ms. Yüksel at all that day?
Gazal Bahtiyar : I saw her at 7 p.m. that day.
Presiding Judge : Alright. She came at 7 p.m. What did she say?
Gazal Bahtiyar : No, she didn’t come to our place. Oh, I saw her.
Presiding Judge : You saw her. Where did you see her?
Gazal Bahtiyar : The day Narin disappeared—my husband—well, I know a little Turkish.
Presiding Judge : That’s fine. Half Turkish, half Kurdish, as you wish. What matters is that you can express yourself. Speak in whichever language you prefer. Just tell us what happened.
Gazal Bahtiyar : Okay. On the day Narin disappeared, my husband was in Çarıklı doing electrical work at my son’s house with another worker. Around two, maybe two-thirty, I don’t know. It was hot that day. He came home and said, “I’m hungry, prepare some food.” I prepared his meal. Then he went to pray. He came back, and we ate together. Then he said, “Is our tap water running?” I said, “No, it’s not.” He said, “Let me call Salim.” Salim is the mukhtar.
Presiding Judge : Alright.
Gazal Bahtiyar : He said, “I’ll call him so he can fix the water.” He called Salim—right next to me. We were together. My daughter and daughter-in-law were at the neighbor’s house, at Sabri Kaçan’s. Then he talked.
Presiding Judge : Who was home besides you?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Just me and him.
Presiding Judge : So two of you.
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes.
Presiding Judge : Where was your mother-in-law?
Gazal Bahtiyar : At her own house.
Presiding Judge : So she was home.
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes.
Presiding Judge : And where were you?
Gazal Bahtiyar : At home too.
Presiding Judge : I see.
Gazal Bahtiyar : My mother-in-law lives separately. Her house is separate.
Presiding Judge : Okay, so she wasn’t at your house?
Gazal Bahtiyar : No, my mother-in-law wasn’t at our house.
Presiding Judge : Alright.
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes, yes. So we were eating together. He said, “Our water isn’t coming?” I said, “No, it’s not.” He said, “Let me call my brother Salim so he can fix it.” He called. Salim said, “Our water isn’t running.” He said, “Call DİSKİ so they fix it.” Then Salim said, “Alright, I’ll call.” My husband hung up. The call lasted barely a minute. Then he said, “I’ll draw water from my mother’s house to water the trees.” We had trees in the yard. He said, “I’ll water them.” I was inside.
Presiding Judge : He went outside?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Huh? Yes, he went outside to water the trees.
Presiding Judge : Which trees did he water? We’ve discussed this a lot here—eggplants? No, no—fruit trees.
Gazal Bahtiyar : He went to water the fruit trees.
Presiding Judge : Did you see him outside while he was watering?
Gazal Bahtiyar : I was inside. Okay.
Presiding Judge : You were inside. Did you see him from the window or anything?
Gazal Bahtiyar : No, I didn’t. He said he was going to water the trees. I was inside. I don’t know how much time passed, then he said, “I’m going to Çarıklı.”
Presiding Judge : Ms. Gazal, you have the right not to answer questions that might incriminate you. I remind you of that. And if I forget during questioning, please, counsel, remind me. We must protect the witness’s rights. Okay. Did you know that the men of the village were away that day?
Gazal Bahtiyar : What do you mean?
Presiding Judge : The men of the Güran family had gone out to deliver wedding invitations. Did you know that?
Gazal Bahtiyar : I didn’t know.
Presiding Judge : Did you know they went to Batman or Diyarbakır city center for shopping? Did your husband know? Did you tell him anything about that?
Gazal Bahtiyar : I don’t know.
Presiding Judge : Did you have such a conversation with your mother-in-law? No? Alright. Then your husband went out. After he left, when did you next speak with him?
Gazal Bahtiyar : I don’t know, maybe twenty minutes, maybe half an hour later. Then he said, “I’m going to Çarıklı. I have some work.” He was doing the wiring at my son’s house.
Presiding Judge : Okay, how long after?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Maybe half an hour, maybe twenty minutes—I don’t know. About that long.
Presiding Judge : We’re talking about minutes here, Ms. Gazal. We’re analyzing every minute.
Gazal Bahtiyar : I don’t remember the time.
Presiding Judge : The time is important for us—even a minute.
Gazal Bahtiyar : He said, “I’m going.” I went out to the balcony. He got in the car and left.
Presiding Judge : You went to the balcony?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes. I saw him get in the car and go.
Presiding Judge : You saw him get in the car—the red car, Nevzat’s car?
Gazal Bahtiyar : I saw him get in and go.
Presiding Judge : You saw him get in and drive away. Was anyone else around?
Gazal Bahtiyar : I didn’t see anyone.
Presiding Judge : You didn’t see Salim either? You may choose not to answer that. Okay? Now, Nevzat says, “I called Salim. About ten or fifteen minutes later, while watering, Salim came and said he needed me for something. I went with him. Then Salim called me to Arif’s house. I saw Narin’s body there. I took it, wrapped it in a blanket, carried it to the barn, got a sack, and then loaded it into the car. I gave the blanket to Salim.” That’s what he says. When you said he left in the car—
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes.
Presiding Judge : You didn’t see him pick up a sack or anything from the barn before getting into the car?
Gazal Bahtiyar : He got in the car through the same gate.
Presiding Judge : He got in the car. Did he open the back door or put anything inside?
Gazal Bahtiyar : I didn’t see.
Presiding Judge : You didn’t see.
Gazal Bahtiyar : I didn’t.
Presiding Judge : Did you see any blanket at the scene?
Gazal Bahtiyar : No, I didn’t.
Presiding Judge : You didn’t see a blanket either? I’m asking to be clear—so it’s not repeated later. You didn’t see any blanket.
Gazal Bahtiyar : I didn’t.
Presiding Judge : After that, did you see any other car come to where his car was?
Gazal Bahtiyar : I didn’t.
Presiding Judge : Five minutes later? Ten minutes later?
Gazal Bahtiyar : I didn’t. He left, and I went inside.
Presiding Judge : Would you have noticed if another car came? Could you recognize a car by sound?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Our house is higher up.
Presiding Judge : So if another car came to where your husband’s car had been, could you hear it from the house—while washing dishes, cleaning, watching TV, or doing something else?
Gazal Bahtiyar : No.
Presiding Judge : Why not?
Gazal Bahtiyar : You can’t see or hear well. No sound came.
Presiding Judge : You didn’t see? No, no, I’m not saying you saw. Normally, say a week earlier, if a car passed by your house on the road, would you recognize it by the sound?
Gazal Bahtiyar : If a car passed in front of the house?
Presiding Judge : Yes.
Gazal Bahtiyar : If the window was open, I could hear it.
Presiding Judge : If open, yes. If closed, no. Okay.
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes, if open, the sound comes. If closed, it doesn’t.
Presiding Judge : So you didn’t see any car. You didn’t see a blanket either. Nevzat made a phone call, then went out. You saw him get in the car and leave. Then what—did he go to get cheese? Where did he go?
Gazal Bahtiyar : I had asked my sister for cheese two or three days before. I said, “Make us some cheese.” She was there when I called. It was around five, I think. Nevzat brought us cheese. When he brought it, he left it, sat with us on the balcony for a few minutes, then said, “Ferhat will get off work soon. I’ll pick him up from Çarıklı and bring him home.” He went to get Ferhat. Then I went up to the roof. It was seven o’clock when I went up.
Presiding Judge : So quite some time had passed.
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes, when I went up to the roof, it was seven. I went to spread bedding. My mother-in-law was also on the roof. I saw Yüksel Güran, Enes Güran, and Hediye Güran. They were shouting from above and coming down, saying, “Narin is missing. My Narin is missing, Narin is gone.” That’s what she said. I told Yüksel, “Ask your neighbors first. Ask your sisters-in-law. Maybe she’s at one of their houses.” Yüksel said, “My Narin is gone, she’s missing, she’s gone,” and went shouting into the village. We went with her to search near the mosque.
Presiding Judge : Did she say “They killed Narin”?
Gazal Bahtiyar : She said, “Did they kidnap her? Did they kill her?” She was hitting herself as she said it.
Presiding Judge : Wait a minute, wait a minute. You’ll speak; I’ll give you your turn to talk. So, was it more like she was lamenting—hitting her knees in grief—or was she saying, “They killed my daughter”? Because it was only seven o’clock then; it wasn’t yet known whether Narin was dead or not.
Gazal Bahtiyar : She said, “Did they kill my daughter? Did they kidnap her? My daughter is gone.”
Presiding Judge : So she said both.
Gazal Bahtiyar : She was shouting as she came down. Enes and Hediye Güran were with her.
Presiding Judge : Earlier, you said she was hitting her knees and shouting, “Whichever of you took my daughter, bring her back, even if you leave her in a corner, let it be her grave.”
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes, she said that too.
Presiding Judge : She said that as well? After that, everyone in the village was searching for Narin, talking about her. How was your husband behaving during that time?
Gazal Bahtiyar : As usual.
Presiding Judge : Did you ever suspect your husband?
Gazal Bahtiyar : No.
Presiding Judge : Did he ever act in a way that made you uneasy?
Gazal Bahtiyar : No. If I had suspected him, I would have turned him in myself.
Presiding Judge : So during those 25–30 days, nothing he did caught your attention?
Gazal Bahtiyar : If something had, if I had suspected him…
Presiding Judge : You would have said so.
Gazal Bahtiyar : I would have said it, I would have turned him in. My uncle is a village guard — Mensur Kaya. My cousin Erdal Kaya is a village guard. My cousin Hacı Kaya too. If I had suspected him, I would have turned him in.
Presiding Judge : You would have turned him in. Do you know that your husband confessed?
Gazal Bahtiyar : What do you mean?
Presiding Judge : I just explained — he said, “I went to Salim’s house, then to Arif’s. Salim killed the girl.”
Gazal Bahtiyar : We saw that on television.
Presiding Judge : Yes. Your husband said the same thing today. He said, “I went to Salim’s house. When I went there, the body was there. I took it, carried it away, and threw it into the creek.” I’m summarizing — not in detail. He said he took it from Arif’s house, from Salim. So your husband said this today. You never suspected him after hearing that? After these events, when your husband was arrested, did anyone from the Güran family come to you?
Gazal Bahtiyar : To our house?
Presiding Judge : Yes, to negotiate?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Ali Rıza… what was it, Ali Rıza.
Presiding Judge : Ali Rıza Güran.
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes, Ali Rıza Güran. He made an offer.
Presiding Judge : To you personally? Have you ever seen Ali Rıza Güran before?
Gazal Bahtiyar : We lived in the village, yes, before.
Presiding Judge : Is he an older man? I haven’t seen him myself.
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes, he’s old.
Presiding Judge : So, an elderly man.
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes, elderly.
Presiding Judge : Did he come to your house? Where did he make this offer?
Gazal Bahtiyar : My relative Hasan Kaya lives in Batıkarakoç. He called him and said, “If Gazal accepts the children, let her live in her own house in the village. We’ll provide all her needs. Nevzat should take the blame.”
Presiding Judge : Did Hasan tell you this?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes.
Presiding Judge : What did you say?
Gazal Bahtiyar : I said I’d never accept it. Even if they gave me the world, I wouldn’t. Whoever killed that girl, whoever did this, should pay for it.
Presiding Judge : Then who told your husband about this offer? How did he find out? He was in prison.
Gazal Bahtiyar : His brother.
Presiding Judge : Which one?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Vecdin.
Presiding Judge : He told your husband?
Gazal Bahtiyar : I think so.
Presiding Judge : You don’t know for sure? Who told him?
Gazal Bahtiyar : He did. We used to go together to visit him.
Presiding Judge : So you didn’t tell him, Vecdi did — while you were there?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes, he told him. He said, “This man made us an offer.” Yes, we said that.
Presiding Judge : So when you and Vedat — or Vecdi — went to visit Nevzat in prison, you told him?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes.
Presiding Judge : You were together. Do you remember when this was?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Honestly, I don’t remember.
Presiding Judge : You don’t remember — that’s fine. It’s not a problem. I’m only asking insistently in case you might recall. Alright. Do you know Salim’s stepmother, Süveyla?
Gazal Bahtiyar : I know her.
Presiding Judge : You do. Did you ever speak with her?
Gazal Bahtiyar : What do you mean?
Presiding Judge : I mean, during all this, did she ever come and say something to you?
Gazal Bahtiyar : She did.
Presiding Judge : What did she say?
Gazal Bahtiyar : She said, “Salim has been arrested, and Nevzat will be arrested too.”
Presiding Judge : Why would Nevzat be arrested?
Gazal Bahtiyar : I asked her the same thing — “Why?” She said, “They’re going to take his statement.” That’s what she said.
Presiding Judge : So she said it like that, yes. She’s elderly too?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Not very old.
Presiding Judge : So, Salim was arrested, and Nevzat would be arrested too?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes, Salim was already arrested.
Presiding Judge : Salim was arrested, and Nevzat would be too. When she said this, had Narin’s body been found yet?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Not yet.
Presiding Judge : Didn’t you ask, “Why”? Didn’t that seem strange?
Gazal Bahtiyar : I did. I said, “Why will Nevzat be arrested?” She said, “No, no, they’ll just take his statement.” That’s what she said.
Presiding Judge : So maybe she meant it like “taken in for questioning” — not necessarily arrested as guilty?
Gazal Bahtiyar : She said, “Salim was arrested, Nevzat will be arrested.” I asked, “Why will Nevzat be arrested?” She said, “No, no, they’ll take his statement too.”
Presiding Judge : Did you ask why?
Gazal Bahtiyar : The statements of everyone in the village were taken.
Presiding Judge : So you saw that as normal — it didn’t make you suspicious. Do you have any hostility with the Güran family?
Gazal Bahtiyar : No, we’re on good terms.
Presiding Judge : There’s talk about a car. What’s this car issue?
Gazal Bahtiyar : The car.
Presiding Judge : I mean, about a debt, payment or nonpayment.
Gazal Bahtiyar : It was paid — fifty billion. Forty or fifty billion, Nevzat paid.
Presiding Judge : I see. On that day, after an argument between Nevzat and Arif, when he came home that evening, was he angry? Because they had mocked him.
Gazal Bahtiyar : If there had been bad blood between them, why would my son have slept at their house?
Presiding Judge : When?
Gazal Bahtiyar : The day Narin disappeared — the same day her body was found — my son was at their house.
Presiding Judge : Why?
Gazal Bahtiyar : They were friends, like brothers.
Presiding Judge : Friends with Muhammed Emre?
Gazal Bahtiyar : No, with Baran.
Presiding Judge : So friends with Baran. He was going to stay there that night?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes, and the gendarmes took my son from their house at four in the morning.
Presiding Judge : Four in the morning? You mean before dawn?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes. We went to Çarıklı together.
Presiding Judge : Four in the evening or four in the morning?
Gazal Bahtiyar : No, no — in the morning.
Presiding Judge : So before dawn, around four. Because four in the evening wouldn’t make sense. Four in the morning.
Gazal Bahtiyar : We had no hostility, no fight, no problem. Salim called him “brother,” he called Salim “brother.” Brother, he said — and that brother shot him in the back.
Presiding Judge : So what’s this car matter? What do you know about it?
Gazal Bahtiyar : The car issue was that Nevzat had bought it from them.
Presiding Judge : Alright.
Gazal Bahtiyar : Then Salim took the car from Nevzat.
Presiding Judge : Alright.
Gazal Bahtiyar : Then Salim sold it. Later they said the car was involved in an accident. That’s what they said. They said the man crashed it. They said things like that. They agreed to share the money among themselves. Arif paid some. I don’t remember how much Arif paid. Salim paid ten billion. Nevzat paid fifty billion.
Presiding Judge : When Nevzat paid this money, did he ever say, “I’ll take revenge for this. I won’t let go of even a penny of that fifty thousand lira”?
Gazal Bahtiyar : No.
Presiding Judge : Did he ever say, “I’ll take that money back no matter what”?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Never. He never said such a thing. And even when he paid it, they were like brothers, always visiting each other.
Presiding Judge : So after that payment, there were no problems, they continued their normal lives?
Gazal Bahtiyar : They were like brothers. Truly, each called the other “my brother.” Yes. I swear on the Quran. He called him “my brother,” and Salim called him “my brother.”
Presiding Judge : Ms. Gazal, did Salim ever use Nevzat for his personal matters? By that I don’t mean fieldwork or helping with chores — I mean personal matters of a more private nature.
Gazal Bahtiyar : No.
Presiding Judge : Do you understand what I mean?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes.
Interpreter : She understood.
Presiding Judge : I mean, did he use Nevzat in matters of womanizing or such things?
Gazal Bahtiyar : My husband was not a womanizer.
Presiding Judge : He wasn’t.
Gazal Bahtiyar : He wasn’t.
Presiding Judge : Salim…
Gazal Bahtiyar : I’ve been married to him for 30 years.
Interpreter : He never spat at me, never cursed me, never cursed our children. He always treated me well. He was always respected in the community.
Presiding Judge : Well respected. Now, again referring to Nevzat’s confession, alright? Nevzat says: “Salim killed this girl. I had a relationship with Yüksel. The girl Narin saw us. So I killed her. Then I gave the body to Nevzat to hide or dispose of.” No, no, I know you’re not involved — that’s why I’m asking. Would Salim have used Nevzat for his personal matters in such a way? I mean, a person…
Gazal Bahtiyar : He always called him “brother.” They were like brothers. So maybe if he said something like that to him, it was because he trusted him as a brother, thinking he’d keep his secret.
Presiding Judge : Would Nevzat reveal a secret?
Gazal Bahtiyar : No.
Presiding Judge : But he did. So that means Salim trusted him to keep it secret, that’s why he gave it to him.
Gazal Bahtiyar : Salim used him.
Presiding Judge : Is this the brother who lives in Diyarbakır or in Istanbul? Do you know him? How many siblings does Nevzat have?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Eight siblings.
Presiding Judge : What was the name of the one in Istanbul? Or Hatay, right, Hatay. Ah, Vedat or Vecdi, yes. Okay.
Presiding Judge : Do you know Vedat?
Gazal Bahtiyar : He’s my brother-in-law.
Presiding Judge : During the time when Narin went missing, did Vedat frequently call you or Nevzat, asking, “Has Narin been found?”
Gazal Bahtiyar : He called Salim and Nevzat. He called them both.
Presiding Judge : How did you know he called them?
Gazal Bahtiyar : We’re always together — we all hear things.
Presiding Judge : So you heard that way?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes.
Presiding Judge : Did you hear it on TV or in the village yourself?
Gazal Bahtiyar : No, no. Vedat said himself, “I asked Salim, I asked Nevzat if the girl was found.”
Presiding Judge : So Vedat kept calling because he was concerned about the girl?
Gazal Bahtiyar : I don’t know how much he called.
Presiding Judge : But in that sense, yes? Alright. There was a fight among some women — were you there?
Gazal Bahtiyar : No.
Presiding Judge : Okay. During the village discussions when Narin was missing — the meetings, the conversations, the gossip — you must have heard people talking, as the whole country was talking about it. Did you ever hear anyone say that someone had killed Narin? Any rumor like that?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Only when Salim was arrested, they said Salim had killed her.
Presiding Judge : Who said that?
Gazal Bahtiyar : That’s what people in the village said.
Presiding Judge : So, Salim was arrested, and they said Salim killed her — but the girl hadn’t yet been found?
Presiding Judge : Yes. Ms. Yüksel, I’m listening to you. Give her a microphone. Ms. Yüksel, please come here. Give her that microphone.
Yüksel Güran : She was supposed to sit there, but I’m here, let her stay there. She says, Enes, Hediye, and Yüksel came up toward our house.
Presiding Judge : Yes.
Yüksel Güran : Everyone here is a witness. First I went to Ayzakaya. There was nothing — we were looking for Narin. I went to the mosque. I was shouting in distress, “Narin is gone.” Then I went back up the hill. İshak Kaya said, “Maybe Narin was here at six.” I went back home again. When I came back down, during the first search at the mosque, she was there. She ran after me saying, “Yüksel, don’t faint. Pull yourself together.” I had been lying in the field all night and all day. Nevzat came and saw me in the field. He ran after me. The day before, when Narin saw him by the stream — for years I treated him kindly like a sister. He came to my house, sat beside me. He said, “Yüksel, forgive me, I couldn’t come see you. The gendarmerie wouldn’t let me.” The day Narin disappeared, I had a dream. There was a fire at Tavşantepe. Then I had another dream yesterday — Narin came home. This wretch said, “Ah, your dreams are strange, Gazal. When Narin went missing, there was a fire. Now you dreamed Narin came home — maybe she really will.” Many of my dreams come true.
Presiding Judge : What do you want to say?
Yüksel Güran : I’m saying she’s lying.
Presiding Judge : So that day, around 7 p.m., you, Enes, went to Gazal’s house and said, “Where’s my daughter?”
Yüksel Güran : She ran after me from the mosque.
Presiding Judge : That wasn’t her house though. She ran after you — did she say anything like that?
Yüksel Güran : She was consoling me. She and Hediye came to my house looking for Narin, asking “Where is Narin?” Someone kidnapped her, someone killed her. That’s what I said.
Presiding Judge : Okay, you said that.
Yüksel Güran : I didn’t know then that my daughter was dead. How could I?
Presiding Judge : Yes, you said that already. What do you say about this, Ms. Gazal?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yüksel Güran is saying that, but look — at seven o’clock I was on the roof. Yüksel Güran, Enes Güran, and Hediye Güran came down. You say I’m lying, but I’m not. You came down. You were shouting, “My daughter is gone, she’s been kidnapped.” I’m telling the truth, Yüksel. Ferhat Bahtiyar was also a witness. Ferhat was with us at the mosque — the door was locked. Ferhat climbed in through the window and checked the whole mosque. He said, “Maybe the girl fell asleep inside.” I’m not lying.
Yüksel Güran : There are many people here, everyone is here. I’m not saying I went at the same minute.
Presiding Judge : Okay, okay.
Gazal Bahtiyar : You first came down. You, Enes, and Hediye Güran. You came down. You said it. Then we went with you to the mosque. We searched around and inside the mosque. My son climbed in through the window and checked the whole mosque, saying, “Maybe she fell asleep.” He looked — she wasn’t there. We searched around the village with them until about 10:30.
Presiding Judge : Okay. Anything else you want to ask? No? Alright then. That microphone isn’t working — switch it.
Salim Güran : Excuse me, excuse me, I’d never call this person “my dear brother.” She’s lying.
Presiding Judge : Question. Do you want to ask Gazal anything?
Salim Güran : She said my husband shot him in the back — how? She should explain.
Presiding Judge : Yes.
Gazal Bahtiyar : I’ll explain.
Salim Güran : Go ahead.
Gazal Bahtiyar : I am. How did you do it?
Salim Güran : How did I shoot him in the back?
Gazal Bahtiyar : You all keep blaming my husband. My husband couldn’t even kill your chicken.
Salim Güran : The camera footage will come out, God willing. That girl never went up the path.
Gazal Bahtiyar : She did. Are the tests lies? Are the samples lies? Is your car a lie? Is everything a lie?
Presiding Judge : Enes, come here. Do you have anything to ask?
Enes Güran : Ms. Gazal, you say we came toward your house. Which path did we take?
Gazal Bahtiyar : You came down the footpath.
Enes Güran : Which footpath?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes, you came down.
Enes Güran : I’m not denying I came down, but which way did I come?
Gazal Bahtiyar : That footpath.
Enes Güran : Which one?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Behind my house, you came down that way. It was you.
Enes Güran : I came to your house?
Gazal Bahtiyar : You didn’t come to my house.
Enes Güran : Then where?
Gazal Bahtiyar : You came down, and we went with you to the mosque.
Enes Güran : Who was with us?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Your mother and Hediye Güran.
Enes Güran : Hediye Güran. Your Honor, when we went up the hill, Hediye Güran definitely didn’t come with us.
Gazal Bahtiyar : The three of you were together.
Enes Güran : I’m speaking now — you’ll have your turn. Your Honor, I, my mother, and Muhammed Güran went up the hill. We called out to Maşallah Güran. When he said Narin wasn’t there, I took my brother Muhammed and went toward the mosque — to Azize Güran first.
Presiding Judge : Okay, you’ve already explained that.
Enes Güran : Yes, Your Honor.
Diyarbakır Bar Association
Law. Nahit Eren
Law. Nahit Eren : At 15:08, Nevzat calls Salim about the water, right? When that call happened, was he inside the house?
Gazal Bahtiyar : When Nevzat was talking on the phone?
Law. Nahit Eren : Yes.
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes.
Law. Nahit Eren : You heard that conversation?
Gazal Bahtiyar : I did.
Law. Nahit Eren : They talked about the water?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes.
Law. Nahit Eren : About fixing the water problem?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes.
Law. Nahit Eren : After that, you said he left in the car. You also said, “I looked from above and saw him driving toward the cemetery road.” You have such a statement, right?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes.
Law. Nahit Eren : You saw him leaving by car.
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes.
Law. Nahit Eren : Let me ask you this: after that phone call, how long did it take before he got into the car and left? I’m asking how long passed between that 15:08 call and the time he drove away — ten minutes, five minutes, half an hour?
Gazal Bahtiyar : He talked on the phone inside. Then he went outside. Maybe twenty minutes, fifteen minutes, I don’t know.
Law. Nahit Eren : So he didn’t leave right after the call?
Gazal Bahtiyar : No, he said he was going to water the trees.
Law. Nahit Eren : Alright.
Gazal Bahtiyar : Then he left. I don’t know exactly how many minutes passed. Later, he said, “I’m going to Çarıklı.”
Law. Nahit Eren : Okay. You found out from television that Nevzat had taken Narin and hidden her there, correct?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes.
Law. Nahit Eren : You didn’t know before that?
Gazal Bahtiyar : No.
Law. Nahit Eren : Afterwards, you know that he also brought you cheese from Zeynep?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes.
Law. Nahit Eren : So when he came in the evening, he brought the cheese?
Gazal Bahtiyar : He did.
Law. Nahit Eren : After all this, did you ever talk to Zeynep about it? I mean, after Nevzat was caught and sent to prison. She came to you after this incident, right? When Nevzat went to her, he sat there, drank tea, chatted, then came home. Did you ever talk to Zeynep afterward?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Zeynep comes to my house anyway. She’s my sister.
Law. Nahit Eren : Did you ever talk to her about this? Look — it was on TV that he took the body to the stream and hid it. He admitted it himself. When he came back, did he say anything to you? Did you ever suspect him?
Gazal Bahtiyar : I asked him. He said he never suspected anything.
Law. Nahit Eren : So nothing at all?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Nothing.
Law. Nahit Eren : Earlier, the Presiding Judge asked about the offer — you said there was one. Actually, it was made to Nevzat’s brother, and then he told him in prison, right? You were there too.
Gazal Bahtiyar : The offer came to us.
Law. Nahit Eren : Yes, the offer came to your family. So it was made directly to you?
Gazal Bahtiyar : To us.
Law. Nahit Eren : The offer was about Nevzat taking the blame, correct? Who brought this to you?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Hasan Kaya. Hasan Kaya said that Ali Rıza Güran made the offer. He said, “If Gazal accepts, she can come live in the village, stay in her house, we’ll cover everything. Nevzat should take the blame.”
Law. Nahit Eren : You went to the prison — with Vecdin and Vedat — and his brother told him during the visit?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes.
Law. Nahit Eren : What was Nevzat’s reaction? You were there during the open visit, right?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes.
Law. Nahit Eren : What did Nevzat say?
Gazal Bahtiyar : We said we don’t accept it.
Law. Nahit Eren : Not you — what did Nevzat himself say about the offer?
Gazal Bahtiyar : He said he wouldn’t accept it.
Law. Nahit Eren : Did he actually say it, or not?
Gazal Bahtiyar : I don’t remember.
Law. Nahit Eren : You don’t remember. What was his reaction then? And before going, did you tell your brothers or Vecdi that you wouldn’t accept this offer?
Gazal Bahtiyar : That I should accept it, you mean?
Law. Nahit Eren : Whether you should or shouldn’t.
Gazal Bahtiyar : I was against it.
Law. Nahit Eren : Did you tell that to your brothers? To Vecdin?
Gazal Bahtiyar : I said something like that.
Law. Nahit Eren : To Vecdin?
Gazal Bahtiyar : I said, “Such an offer came, but I’ll never accept it.”
Law. Nahit Eren : If you hadn’t been there with Nevzat, do you think he might have accepted it?
Gazal Bahtiyar : No.
Law. Nahit Eren : He wouldn’t have accepted it anyway?
Gazal Bahtiyar : No, he wouldn’t.
Law. Nahit Eren : The Presiding Judge asked earlier — their stepmother, as I recall, is Süreyya?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Süveyla.
Law. Nahit Eren : Süveyla, right. You know, on the day Narin disappeared, she was seen on the school camera, working in the hayloft, packing hay. Do you think Süveyla told you “Nevzat will be arrested after Salim” because she had witnessed something? Or did you think nothing of it afterward? At that point, it wasn’t yet known that Nevzat had hidden the body, but this woman from your village came and said that to you.
Gazal Bahtiyar : That’s right. Exactly.
Law. Nahit Eren : Did you share that with Nevzat? Tell him, “Süveyla came and said they’ll arrest you after Salim”? Did you ever talk to him about that? Why would she say that to you?
Gazal Bahtiyar : I didn’t talk to him about it.
Law. Nahit Eren : Not at all? You didn’t worry?
Gazal Bahtiyar : No, she just said that. I asked, “Why will Nevzat be arrested?” She said, “No, no, I’ll just go give my statement.” That’s what she told me later.
Law. Nahit Eren : Did she say, “If something happens, I’ll go give my statement,” or “I’m already going to give my statement”?
Gazal Bahtiyar : No, no. Süveyla Güran told me, “Salim was arrested. Nevzat will be arrested too.”
Law. Nahit Eren : A few days later?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes. I asked, “Why was Salim arrested? Why will Nevzat be arrested?” That’s what I said.
Law. Nahit Eren : In one of your statements, you said, “This family keeps secrets.”
Gazal Bahtiyar : What?
Law. Nahit Eren : “Keeps secrets.” Maybe you said it in Kurdish, I don’t know. But in your signed statement, it says that phrase.
Presiding Judge : You can say it in Kurdish, Counsel.
Law. Nahit Eren : The phrase “keeps secrets” — was that something you said? Why?
Gazal Bahtiyar : What do you mean?
Law. Nahit Eren : Why did you say they never talk about anything with anyone?
Gazal Bahtiyar : I didn’t say “keeps secrets.” I said they were always meeting, always holding family gatherings.
Law. Nahit Eren : Earlier you commented about the family — that they’re very closed off, they don’t share what happens among themselves with outsiders. That’s what “keeps secrets” means. You also said that after the second day, they shut themselves off, didn’t let anyone else in. By that, did you mean they stopped letting you visit?
Gazal Bahtiyar : We used to go for two or three days.
Law. Nahit Eren : Why did you go?
Gazal Bahtiyar : To see Yüksel. We went, but later they said, “We’re having a family meeting, no one come.”
Presiding Judge : Let me clarify — when she said “keeps secrets,” she meant that later, during family meetings, they stopped including her. Is that right?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes.
Presiding Judge : Okay. Anyone object? No. There was a break in the dialogue earlier; let it be recorded correctly. She said she didn’t use the phrase “keeps secrets.” There was some confusion in the transcript. We’ll correct it accordingly.
Trial Prosecutor
Trial Prosecutor : As far as I recall from your statements and the prosecutor’s questioning, you and your daughter both said something like “This area is off-limits, you can’t enter here.” Do you remember that?
Presiding Judge : Did they say something like that?
Trial Prosecutor : “This is off-limits, you can’t enter this area.” From the very first day — near Arif Gürangil’s house. Both you and your daughter said that. You were aware of it.
Interpreter : When we went there, they said, “There’s a family meeting, no one should come.”
Defense Counsels for Enes Güran
Law. Mahir Akbilek
Law. Mahir Akbilek : You may refuse to answer some of my questions, but if so, please say so clearly. On September 9, 2024, you gave a statement titled “information record.” You said that on the morning of the incident, after breakfast, Nevzat went with your son Ferhat Bahtiyar to the construction site in the Çarıklı neighborhood to do electrical work. Do you remember that?
Gazal Bahtiyar : My husband went there. Not Ferhat — Ferhat was working in Pirinçlik village.
Law. Mahir Akbilek : I’m reading directly from your 09/09/2024 statement. Do you remember this exact sentence?
Gazal Bahtiyar : I don’t remember, but…
Law. Mahir Akbilek : You don’t remember. Okay. Then on September 18, 2024, you gave another statement correcting it, saying Ferhat went separately. Do you remember that one?
Gazal Bahtiyar : I don’t remember that statement. But as I know it, Ferhat was working in Pirinçlik village. Nevzat went to Çarıklı at 06:30 to do electrical work. That’s what I remember. Nevzat had one worker named Vedat. He was an electrician.
Interpreter : Her son worked in Pirinçlik, and Nevzat went alone with one worker.
Law. Mahir Akbilek : Yes. Earlier, in response to another question, you mentioned your son Ferhat as a witness — you said, even though Mrs. Yüksel couldn’t ask properly, that your son Ferhat was there that day searching for the girl, right? You said he helped search in the mosque.
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes, it was around 7. Ferhat came back from work, saw the crowd. We were heading to the mosque with Yüksel, Enes, and Hediye. He asked, “What happened?” We said, “Narin is missing.” My son searched inside the mosque with us. He climbed through the window and said, “Maybe she fell asleep inside.”
Law. Mahir Akbilek : Okay, you remember. You said your son is a trustworthy person like your husband, right?
Presiding Judge : Isn’t that a strange question to ask a mother, Counselor?
Law. Mahir Akbilek : It’s fine, Your Honor. Do you consider your son trustworthy?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Trustworthy.
Law. Mahir Akbilek : You trust him?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes.
Law. Mahir Akbilek : Then why did your son — along with your brothers-in-law, like Mehmet Bahtiyar — initially support the claim that your husband went to work in Çarıklı that day, only for you later to correct and contradict it? Why did you feel the need to make that statement?
Gazal Bahtiyar : My husband wasn’t working there that day — the day he was arrested.
Law. Mahir Akbilek : Please just answer the question directly. Or say if you don’t want to answer.
Presiding Judge : She didn’t understand the question.
Law. Mahir Akbilek : Why did you feel the need?
Presiding Judge : I think she didn’t understand.
Law. Mahir Akbilek : In your first statement, you said, “My son Ferhat and my husband Nevzat went together to Çarıklı after breakfast.”
Interpreter : They left early together — the son went to Pirinçlik…
Law. Mahir Akbilek : So they left together.
Interpreter : I don’t remember exactly.
Law. Mahir Akbilek : Which one? Just now you said your son and husband went together to Çarıklı. Later, you said your son went to Pirinçlik instead.
Gazal Bahtiyar : I don’t remember. I really don’t.
Law. Mahir Akbilek : So your answer is “I don’t remember,” correct? Okay.
Law. Mahir Akbilek : You’re aware, right, that in the ongoing main investigation — file number 202446201 — your husband is currently in custody because it was determined that he lied about the time and location, claiming to be with someone who later said he wasn’t?
Gazal Bahtiyar : I know.
Law. Mahir Akbilek : You know. Okay. Earlier you praised your husband. So can we understand this — if you had believed your husband was involved in this horrible crime…
Presiding Judge : I would’ve turned him in myself. I would’ve.
Law. Mahir Akbilek : Let’s confirm that, Your Honor.
Presiding Judge : I asked her three times. She said it three times.
Law. Mahir Akbilek : I won’t repeat it, Your Honor. Would your trust in him have been broken?
Law. Mahir Akbilek : She said she doesn’t believe it, right?
Presiding Judge : Translate that. I didn’t understand.
Interpreter : She said, “Your Honor, I don’t believe he killed her.”
Presiding Judge : Alright.
Law. Mahir Akbilek : From August 21, 2024, until his arrest, did your husband ever say anything about the murder or act in a way that made you suspect he was involved?
Gazal Bahtiyar : No.
Law. Mahir Akbilek : Never. Then let me ask again — why did you say in your statement that he left with your son Ferhat? Why did you feel the need to say that?
Interpreter and witness converse in Kurdish.
Law. Mahir Akbilek : That’s not what I’m asking, but you understand my question. From Tavşantepe to Çarıklı — that’s what I mean. I’m not asking about after Çarıklı. Why did you include your son as if he left with your husband? You trust him; you don’t suspect him of anything.
Gazal Bahtiyar : I mean… yes.
Interpreter and witness converse in Kurdish.
Law. Mahir Akbilek : You’re still not answering.
Presiding Judge : What did she say, Yüksel? What did she say?
Law. Mahir Akbilek : She said “I don’t remember,” right?
Interpreter : She said, “He left for work, I just said they went together. Sometimes he left with his sister, sometimes with his uncle, I didn’t see it myself.”
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes, they would leave together sometimes. I said it like that. Sometimes with his sister, sometimes by car. When they left the house, I was inside. They left together, but I didn’t actually see them.
Presiding Judge : So you know he left the house, but not what happened afterward. Is that correct, Counselor?
Law. Mahir Akbilek : Yes. Then why did you later retract that statement in your September 18 testimony? Why did you then say, “My husband went alone, my son went separately with Mehmet Bahtiyar”?
Interpreter : (Unclear, spoke softly.)
Law. Mahir Akbilek : Please translate clearly. I know Kurdish too — we couldn’t fully understand.
Interpreter : She said, “I didn’t know at the time, so I answered that way.”
Presiding Judge : The inconsistency couldn’t be resolved. Let’s end this line of questioning here.
Law. Mahir Akbilek : With your permission, Your Honor, just a final point. Why did your brother-in-law Mehmet Bahtiyar act in sync with you — first making the same statement, then retracting it just as you did? Do you have any idea why?
Presiding Judge : She said she doesn’t know.
Law. Mahir Akbilek : Alright. If I called that coordinated deceit, you’d be offended, wouldn’t you? Your Honor, with your permission, I’ll ask just a few short questions about the day of the incident. Thank you for your patience.
Presiding Judge : Of course, go ahead.
Law. Mahir Akbilek : On the day of the incident, you, your husband Nevzat, and your mother-in-law were in separate houses. When you say “separate,” do you mean you couldn’t hear each other at all? No sound from one house to the other?
Gazal Bahtiyar : No, you couldn’t hear.
Law. Mahir Akbilek : In your statement, you said your husband got in the car and left. Did you see which direction he drove — toward the lower or upper part of the village? Did you look? Toward the school, the cemetery? So to the left, from your door’s perspective?
Presiding Judge : To the left, toward the cemetery.
Law. Mahir Akbilek : Toward the cemetery. Between the phone call and the moment he left by car, did he leave the house on foot for anything? Did you see?
Gazal Bahtiyar : I was inside.
Law. Mahir Akbilek : Did you hear any sound — like him saying “I’m leaving,” or footsteps?
Gazal Bahtiyar : He said, “I’m going to water the trees.” He was watering them in the yard. I was still inside. I don’t know how many minutes passed between. Then he said, “Gazal, I’m going to Çarıklı, I have some work there — electrical work at my son’s house.” Then he said, “I’m leaving.” I said okay. I saw him get in the car and drive downhill.
Law. Mahir Akbilek : Thank you.
Law. Muhammed Fatih Demir
Law. Muhammed Fatih Demir : How often did you see Narin in the village?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Pardon?
Law. Muhammed Fatih Demir : How often did you see Narin in the village? Did you see her every day?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Narin. No, I didn’t see her.
Law. Muhammed Fatih Demir : You didn’t see Narin?
Gazal Bahtiyar : She wasn’t my children’s age for me to see her.
Law. Muhammed Fatih Demir : Didn’t Narin go outside?
Gazal Bahtiyar : She didn’t go outside, but she would go with children her own age. She went to Hacı Hüseyin’s house.
Law. Muhammed Fatih Demir : When she went out, didn’t she pass near your house?
Gazal Bahtiyar : What do you mean?
Law. Muhammed Fatih Demir : When Narin went out from her own house.
Gazal Bahtiyar : She doesn’t pass near our house.
Law. Muhammed Fatih Demir : Didn’t she go to the mosque?
Gazal Bahtiyar : There was a road behind as well. And in front of the house too. There was also a road behind our house.
Law. Muhammed Fatih Demir : So that’s why you couldn’t see her, correct? When was the last time you saw her before the incident?
Gazal Bahtiyar : I didn’t see her for a month.
Law. Muhammed Fatih Demir : How far is it between your house and Mr. Arif’s house?
Gazal Bahtiyar : They’re up on the hill. Ours is down below.
Law. Muhammed Fatih Demir : Approximately how far? How many minutes’ walk?
Gazal Bahtiyar : 3–4 minutes.
Law. Muhammed Fatih Demir : It’s 3–4 minutes away, yet you never saw Narin. If you had seen her in the village, would you have spoken to her? Would you have greeted her, for example?
Gazal Bahtiyar : We would have talked.
Law. Muhammed Fatih Demir : You liked Narin, right?
Gazal Bahtiyar : I mean, if I had seen her, I would have spoken. She’s a child.
Law. Muhammed Fatih Demir : You liked her. You would have spoken, right?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes.
Law. Muhammed Fatih Demir : If your husband had seen her, would he have spoken to her as well?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Where would my husband see her? How would he see her?
Law. Muhammed Fatih Demir : Don’t they live in the same village? It’s a very small village — say he saw her once every three months, based on your statement. If he saw her once every three months, would Mr. Nevzat greet Narin? “Hello, Narin. How are you, Narin?”
Gazal Bahtiyar : I didn’t see it.
Law. Muhammed Fatih Demir : So you have no guess about this. You can’t speculate, right?
Gazal Bahtiyar : I didn’t see it; I don’t know.
Law. Muhammed Fatih Demir : Alright. On the 21st, the day of the incident, one of your children stayed overnight at Mr. Arif’s house. What was that child’s name?
Gazal Bahtiyar : İbrahim Bahtiyar.
Law. Muhammed Fatih Demir : Earlier you said about İbrahim Bahtiyar staying there, “We love each other very much. There is no hostility between us,” correct? If there is no hostility, if you are two families who like each other, why wouldn’t Mr. Nevzat greet her when he saw her?
Gazal Bahtiyar : You’re the one saying he greeted her; I’m saying I didn’t see it.
Law. Muhammed Fatih Demir : There are things you saw and things you guessed.
Gazal Bahtiyar : Maybe he would have spoken.
Law. Muhammed Fatih Demir : For example, if Narin passed in front of him and Mr. Nevzat said “come” to her, called her over, or met at a certain place, would that be a possible scenario?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Narin would not go to anyone.
Law. Muhammed Fatih Demir : She wouldn’t go to anyone. Your houses are side by side. You are two families who like each other. There is no hostility, yet still Narin wouldn’t go to anyone, is that so?
Gazal Bahtiyar : She was a smart girl.
Law. Muhammed Fatih Demir : Then who are you there?
Gazal Bahtiyar : I mean, she wouldn’t go to anyone.
Law. Muhammed Fatih Demir : So you weren’t close, the two families?
Gazal Bahtiyar : I mean, how? We’re not relatives. We’re close, but not relatives.
Law. Muhammed Fatih Demir : Alright. I’ll ask you something and finish, Your Honor. Many questions have been asked. Your husband normally goes out for plastering work. On the day of the incident, he went to his son’s house for electrical work, correct?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes.
Law. Muhammed Fatih Demir : You stated that as well. If he goes for plastering work every day, why did he go for electrical work that day?
Gazal Bahtiyar : My son, his house was finished — everything. The belongings had been moved in. Only the electrical work remained. There was an electrician working that day. He was doing the wiring.
Law. Muhammed Fatih Demir : Did I understand you correctly? There was an electrician at your son Ferhat’s house, right? Vedat.
Gazal Bahtiyar : Vedat. He went there together with my husband.
Law. Muhammed Fatih Demir : Your husband was an electrician, right? Then why did your husband go there with Vedat?
Gazal Bahtiyar : He is an electrician.
Law. Muhammed Fatih Demir : Okay, I understood that. I mean, why would your husband, an electrician, go there? The house was empty. Newly finished. No personal belongings.
Gazal Bahtiyar : That man wouldn’t go to do the electrical work in that house alone. The owner had to be there.
Law. Muhammed Fatih Demir : Alright. One last point. They always do character analysis, they ask. I want to hear it from Ms. Gazal as well. I’d like to hear Mr. Nevzat’s character — I mean, in this sense: what was he like in the village, in social life, with relatives?
Gazal Bahtiyar : He was moral, had a good temperament.
Law. Muhammed Fatih Demir : Was he a talkative person or more quiet?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Quiet.
Law. Muhammed Fatih Demir : He was quiet? Understood.
Defense Counsel for Yüksel Güran
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : Ms. Gazal, you mentioned earlier that you have relatives who are village guards.
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes.
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : In which village do they live?
Gazal Bahtiyar : In Batıkarakoç.
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : In Batıkarakoç. Their surname is Kaya, right?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Kaya.
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : Are there any Kayas in your village, Tavşantepe?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes.
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : How many Kaya families are there? Are there more Gürans or more Kayas?
Gazal Bahtiyar : There are more Gürans.
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : Alright. Your son was working in Pirinçlik on the day of the incident, correct?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes.
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : In the evening, when your husband came home, when he came to Çarıklı, who was driving the car?
Gazal Bahtiyar : My husband was already in Çarıklı. My son came back from work in Pirinçlik. My husband picked him up. They came home together.
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : Okay. Was your husband driving?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes. Nevzat was driving.
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : Nevzat was driving. Earlier you said Ferhat went to the mosque when Yüksel was shouting.
Gazal Bahtiyar : At 7 o’clock my husband and son arrived home that evening. I also went up to the roof. I heard shouting. Yüksel Güran. Enes Güran and also Hediye Güran.
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : Yes.
Gazal Bahtiyar : They were shouting out loud. That Narin was missing, that Narin had been abducted. Narin. That’s what she said. So we went with her and searched around and inside the mosque — Ferhat came with us as well. We went together and searched the mosque. My son — the door was locked. He climbed in through the window. He searched the entire mosque, saying maybe the girl had fallen asleep. My son searched the mosque with us. And we walked around the village with Yüksel searching until ten-thirty.
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : You searched. Then why, while your son was so helpful, didn’t your husband help you? Why didn’t he join the search?
Gazal Bahtiyar : My husband came straight home.
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : Didn’t your husband do anything then? A child is missing. Didn’t you suggest going to search?
Gazal Bahtiyar : I didn’t say anything.
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : Do you have a grandchild? Is your grandchild around Narin’s age?
Gazal Bahtiyar : My grandchild. Yes.
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : For example, did your grandchild ever play with Narin?
Gazal Bahtiyar : They played at school. They played together.
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : They played together. And you’re also neighbors with Arif’s family, right?
Gazal Bahtiyar : My daughter is not my neighbor. My daughter is far from me.
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : You are neighbors, right? No, that’s not what I mean. You are neighbors with Arif, correct?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes. We’re nearby.
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : You’re nearby. When your grandchild came to you, would Narin never come?
Gazal Bahtiyar : No. She never came.
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : Wouldn’t they talk there?
Gazal Bahtiyar : I never saw Narin. She never came to my house or my yard. I didn’t see her.
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : When Salim called on the day of the incident — when he called your husband — you heard it. You said it was about water, right? How long did that conversation about water last?
Gazal Bahtiyar : It didn’t even last a minute.
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : Not even a minute. Good, you remember that well. You say it didn’t last a minute. How long after that conversation did Salim leave the house? Sorry—Arif. Nevzat.
Gazal Bahtiyar : We were at the table, eating and talking.
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : How long did the meal take? Did the meal end right after the call?
Gazal Bahtiyar : The phone rang while we were eating, but I don’t know how many minutes it took.
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : Our presiding judge tried to understand this with his questions, and so are we. When someone gets a call during a meal, do they continue eating afterward, or stop?
Interpreter : They ate a bit. Sat for a while.
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : So he ate a bit after the call, sat a bit, and then said he’d go water the trees?
Gazal Bahtiyar : He didn’t sit long.
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : When he went to water the trees, how many trees do you have? Where are they?
Gazal Bahtiyar : In the yard.
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : Do you have any eggplants?
Gazal Bahtiyar : No.
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : Would the eggplants be watered?
Gazal Bahtiyar : No.
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : So they wouldn’t be watered that day, right?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Hm?
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : Since you didn’t have eggplants, they wouldn’t be watered, right?
Gazal Bahtiyar : He watered the trees.
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : Ah. Your husband—about the eggplants…
Gazal Bahtiyar : There were eggplants, yes. Separate ones.
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : Where were those eggplants?
Gazal Bahtiyar : He just said he was going to water the trees.
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : Alright. Were the eggplants in the yard or behind the house on the path?
Gazal Bahtiyar : At that time the eggplants had dried out. There weren’t any.
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : Yet your husband Nevzat said here that he watered the eggplants behind the house. Your husband says he watered eggplants. Which is true?
Gazal Bahtiyar : There were eggplants, but wait—there were eggplants, but he told me he was going to water the trees.
Presiding Judge : It’s in Kurdish, to ensure it’s recorded correctly. I’m saying this because the police officer doesn’t understand it.
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : Your mother-in-law Zeynep — because of this money issue with Arif, did she ever act cold or distant toward Yüksel’s family or others?
Gazal Bahtiyar : No. I didn’t see anything.
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : Did you ever talk about it? Did Yüksel ever ask you, “Why is Zeynep acting like this?”
Gazal Bahtiyar : I didn’t see, didn’t hear anything. We had no hostility between us.
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : One last question then. You saw the car in the yard, in front of the gate, right? The red one.
Gazal Bahtiyar : Yes.
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : You were on the balcony at that time.
Gazal Bahtiyar : He told me, “I’m leaving. I’m going to Çarıklı.”
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : He called out, “I’m going to Çarıklı.” He started the car and went down the cemetery road.
Gazal Bahtiyar : He went toward the cemetery road. I mean, I didn’t see exactly. He went downhill. I saw clearly that he went downhill, but not which direction he turned.
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : And you said there was no blanket exchange?
Gazal Bahtiyar : We didn’t see any.
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : You didn’t see any other vehicle either?
Gazal Bahtiyar : I didn’t.
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : From where you saw the car move, can you see Arif Güran’s house from there?
Gazal Bahtiyar : From our house.
Law. Yılmaz Demiroğlu : From your house?
Gazal Bahtiyar : No, you can’t see it. Ours is lower.
Defense Counsel for Salim Güran
Law. Onur Akdağ
Law. Onur Akdağ : By nature, is your husband a fearful person? Does he fear anyone?
Gazal Bahtiyar : I don’t know.
Law. Onur Akdağ : You’ve known your husband for 30 years. Does he fear anyone? Is he intimidated by anyone? Is he afraid of Salim?
Presiding Judge : Can we quiet the murmuring, please? There’s some noise over there. Thank you.
Gazal Bahtiyar : He never fought with anyone, so he doesn’t fight with anyone.
Law. Onur Akdağ : Does your husband lie often?
Gazal Bahtiyar : Never. He never lies. Never. Even if they cut off his head, he wouldn’t lie.
Law. Onur Akdağ : Then how do you explain that he has six statements, all different from each other?
Gazal Bahtiyar : I don’t know.
Law. Onur Akdağ : Did you hear your mother-in-law Zeynep Bahtiyar say, “Arif ruined our house, Arif cheated us out of 50,000 lira”?
Gazal Bahtiyar : I didn’t hear that.
Law. Onur Akdağ : You’ve known your husband for 30 years, you say. Your children know him less than you. For example, Ferhat Bahtiyar said that when my wife Yüksel cried, Nevzat showed no reaction, went home quietly, and watched us from the balcony. Then Fadile said he didn’t join the search efforts. How is it that your children, at their age, sensed his unease, but you did not?
Presiding Judge : You have the right not to answer this question. It’s incriminating. I’m skipping it. This question accuses the witness.
Law. Onur Akdağ : Alright. Another question — on the day Narin was found, when you heard the news, did you faint? Lose consciousness?
Gazal Bahtiyar : No. We were all crying for her, truly.
Presiding Judge : I intervened in the previous question as well, because the defendant would have been self-incriminated otherwise.
Law. Onur Akdağ : No problem. Don’t you think carrying Narin’s body is just as cruel as killing her?
Presiding Judge : She said she doesn’t know.
Law. Onur Akdağ : Then why do you defend your husband so much? If I saw my spouse like that, I’d never defend her. Your husband confessed. In this case, there are only two truths — Narin’s death and your husband’s confession. Everything else is just—
Presiding Judge : I’m also intervening here. That question would be considered aiding the accused. We’ll skip it.
Law. Onur Akdağ : Fine. What are your husband’s main interests? For example, what does he like to do, what are his hobbies?
Gazal Bahtiyar : My husband? He always recites prayers, performs his namaz, that’s how he is. He was a clean, decent man.
Law. Onur Akdağ : Did he often go fishing?
Gazal Bahtiyar : He went fishing.
Law. Onur Akdağ : Often?
Gazal Bahtiyar : When he didn’t have work, he went.
Law. Onur Akdağ : Did he go so often that he knew the Eğertutmaz stream like the back of his hand?
Gazal Bahtiyar : He didn’t go there, but he went elsewhere. You know, where? The commanders came there that day — he was fishing there.
Law. Onur Akdağ : People in the village of Gönenli often say this about your husband: “We release carp here so they can multiply and we can collect them later. Nevzat comes, takes the fish, and leaves.” They complain about him. You never saw him go to Eğertutmaz stream?
Gazal Bahtiyar : I never saw him go to Eğertutmaz stream. He went elsewhere, with others. They’d get in the car and go together.